CENTENNIAL, Colo. (AP)  A Vietnam veteran, an attorney and art director were among the first people questioned directly about their knowledge and beliefs about the Colorado theater shooting case as the second phase of jury selection began Wednesday.

In the weeks ahead, hundreds of people who were not excused after filling out lengthy questionnaires will be asked about their views on mental illness, the death penalty and what they know about the case.

Judge Carlos A. Samour Jr. excused a Vietnam War veteran on Wednesday who said he had post-traumatic stress syndrome and cannot view graphic images without suffering symptoms.

Such images might be introduced at the trial of James Holmes in the July 20, 2012, attack in Aurora that killed 12 people and injured 70 others.

Holmes, 27, has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity. His lawyers acknowledge he was the gunman but say he was in the grip of a psychotic episode.

If jurors find Holmes was insane at the time, he would be committed indefinitely to the state psychiatric hospital.

Prosecutors dispute the insanity plea and are seeking the death penalty, though Colorado has only executed one person in the past 40 years.

Only potential jurors who would be willing to recommend the death penalty can be selected for the jury.

Holmes, wearing a blue-and-white striped shirt and dark gray slacks, sat at the defense table doodling and didn’t look up when District Attorney George Brauchler told the first person questioned that she might have to vote on whether to recommend the death penalty.

The woman, who appeared to be in her 20s, expressed some reservations about such a sentence but said she could keep an open mind.

An attorney questioned later said she had her doubts about insanity pleas but would keep an open mind.

“It seems like any defendant may be able to give that as a defense to commit heinous acts of any kind. I guess everyone could use that defense,” she said.

The names of the prospective jurors were not disclosed.

Holmes’ lawyers strongly questioned a media company art director who initially said he would not consider mental health issues as a mitigating factor in a possible penalty phase of the trial.

Questioned further by the judge, the man said he would indeed consider those issues. He was asked to return for the next round of screening.

Thousands of people were initially called to court starting Jan. 20 to fill out the questionnaires. Samour dismissed more than 1,000 who brought doctors’ notes, weren’t U.S. citizens, had family problems or weren’t Arapahoe County residents.

The individual questioning phase could last as long as four months. Samour hopes the process will winnow the field down to about 120 people who will then return for group questioning. Twelve jurors and 12 alternates will be chosen from that pool.

The scope of jury selection is a testament to the logistical hurdles of trying the rare case of a mass shooter who survives his attack.